Polar Vantage V3 In-Depth Review: The Comeback Kid? 

My main reason for wanting Polar to do well is that I'm a big believer in a competitive market, I have little against Garmin (and more against Apple) but I think variety - especially from private companies - is incredibly important. My second reason is that I like Finland.

DUDE. Great video but holy hell that was super insightful about the HR accuracy change! Super super helpful for the polar team to hopefully switch back! And if you did, in fact, uncover the dilemma and they fix it as a result that's a huge help to everyone who might be buying it! Great job all around.

Good review and raises some important issues. One point in Polar’s defence the training load info is available in detail on the app and website. I think having basic info on the watch telling you if you’re under / over training or being productive is enough. If you want to drill down into your training history doing it on a bigger screen is far more useful. As for training views, they can be edited and deleted on the app. Other than YT reviewers most people don’t need dozens of activities on their watch, I have running, trail running and hiking on my Grit X Pro. Although I am getting on a bit I have sufficient energy to scroll between three activities, although it might spike my HR slightly!

Very thorough review and insightful in terms of not only how the watch performs but also detailed analysis and noting issues seen.

Well, after 1 year in Garmin ecosystem I miss Polar, I have to say. I miss reporting capabilities in Flow, Orthostatic Test and the whole recovery features and physion scores which are much more reliable in Polar then in Garmin. Garmin has a lot more features then Polar but 80% of Garmin features are useless.

In my experience Polar still has the best app platform (regardless of web or mobile), tho in fairness I only tried them and Garmin. They also hold an advantage in the UX front. In running they nailed the manual "laps" vs auto "splits" thing. The way Garmin treats both as the same is really frustrating. Same but different story in how this is handled in pool swimming wherein lapping on a Garmin automatically implies a rest phase. It's nice to see them catching up in GPS accuracy, especially in the swim department as this was one of their weaknesses and one of the motivators for me to switch to Garmin for the time being. At the same time, it is a bit disheartening to see them keep delivering products that are close but no cigar. HR accuracy really shouldn't be an issue anymore.

I forgot how clean and compact the Polar App looks compared to Garmin. ❤

Thank you for a fantastic review.

Thank you Mr. DC Rainmaker.

Thanks DC, great review. Just upgraded from Grit X to FR955 which I got just little over 400€. I think it has great value at that price

Finally! Like the video in advance, cup of coffee in my hand and here we go

Thanks a lot for the review. After coming from the the M430 and Vantage V I switched to Garmin FR945 due to build-in maps. I´m using this gear during 24hr hikes and really rely on the ability to recharge the watch during the activity. Unfortunately this isn´t possible with Polar watches (they even noticed it in their user manual for the Vantage v3). And seeing both the crashes and low battery after +10 hrs will prevent me from giving it a try. Hoping Polar will be able to get some of these issues fixed I´m looking forward to your next review of this gadget. Kind regards & thanks again.

Thanks for this review! I've been looking forward to it since you did the quick review several weeks ago. Sad that the Polar mapping isn't up to par with Suunto and Garmin yet. It's also not good news that the HR sensor got worse after the firmware update (although I'm sure that will be corrected). Firmware update failures were the reason I left the Garmin platform many years ago. I think I'll wait on upgrading my Polar Vantage M for now.

VERY DETAILED review! 😃👍

My old Vantage V Titan is still running fine. But I'll buy V3, not yet but maybe in next few months. Thanks DC Rainmaker again for your review!

Been waiting for this video.

Awesome video Ray! 🔥 Very mixed thoughts on this one, hopefully they address some of your concerns, maybe even drop the price (like Coros did for the Apex 2 range) to keep interest. Polar still have major respect/recognition in the industry so it seems like a double or quits moment for them 🌟

Excellent review!!! Merci Ray 🎉

- Really good screen - The clock works quickly, does not lag - You get handy widgets on the start screen, which can be pressed directly to detailed information - Notifications from mobile to phone work well and you can choose which applications are allowed to send notifications from Polar Flow - Free maps, from which you can still choose whether you want a more detailed or a general map (as needed) - Downloading maps to the watch is easy and fast - Feels comfortable in the hand, light and the sensor area that comes against the hand is flat - The menus are clear and logical - The reports given by the watch are easy to understand - Battery life good. The watch has now been in use for a week and the battery remains at 44%. However, the clock was on the computer for a while while I downloaded the maps, so this definitely added a few percent to the download. During the week, 3 exercises lasting about an hour.

Thank you for this review you make the products better with your reviews and the feedback you give to the companies. I ordeder this watch couple days ago, not becouse it is the greatest of the other two competitors, but i love polar's ecosystem.. Now i am realy concerner about the batery life of this watch. Do you think it can be fixed in any way? Also about the tests, do you plan to make a separate video for the cycling and running tests? There is a lot of staff there to talk about especialy the whrist power meter and the data you get . Anyway thank you again for this review!

thank you so much for this video.

Polar Vantage V3.... i have it... its best Polar model ever.... c 30 years, i am using Polar.

my favorite watch thank you !!!

Polar executives HR probably spiked after watching this review, but luckily for them they were wearing V3 watches, so didn't know quite how high it went 😜

i have Polar Vantage for almost4 years, still good, light, simple & user-friendly platform. After 2 days switching to Suunto Race, i feel very uncomfortable & regret. Thinking to switch back POLAR V3, seriously still one of the best watch compare others.

DC is always the best. I'm a longtime Polar user, but I did adapt to new products because you mentioned… no investments in what they invented. I did order the V3. I hope they fix all these issues soon.

What a wonderful review Ray, thanks for bringing some background infos i could not see up to now. switched from polar grit x to v3 some two weeks ago and LOVING the v3 from first sight. will watch any of your critical statements and compare it to my experience here. for the time being i cannot report any problems though - but readily admit that i am not in heavy user mode (anymore)... appreciate your precious information. thnx for your adding value to (my) training experience...!

I just got my own Polar Vantage V3. Fast delivery directly from Polar, less than 24 hours. Commissioning is really straightforward and easy, the watch fits well in the hand and everything works as it should.

Thanks for great review! How about pool swimming accuracy, any play with that yet? Distance, speed, swimming style recognition etc...

Looks like Polar has done some firmware updates to address a few of the things you mentioned on the video: 1. Fixes to crashes 2. Breadcrumbs mode added to navigation to backtrack on a route 3. Maps can be browsed without starting a workout 4. More reliable heart rate monitoring

Bit disapointed, I was expecting more for this price range... still no rep and set counters like the pacer pro or every other sports watches, polar is stricktly aimed for running / trail / cardio training but lack more frequants firmware updates and taking into account other sporting profiles (gym, pull ups, sqats etc ... ) Neverthe less, nice video man, keep up the good content !

Well Mr. Rainmaker, thank you for your review! Great video. So you are based in the NL's but I guess you aren't Dutch? .. You mentioned the firmware in the video. Today I have updated mine, do you maybe know what firmware it was that was less acurate with the heartrate?

Hmm, very interesting reveiw thanks. I think I'll still buy one, because of the Polar's implementation of the 5 button interface, the web & phone app features, and things like hill splitter which I find a very useful when training. The HR accuracy and crashes are a bit of a concern though. Personally I'm fine burnng a bit more power to get the HR accuracy, though is the HR inaccuracy a problem when not in an activity?

Thank you

I really hope they will fix some bugs and add new features. I ordered mine and should get within few days.

Man, when I started the video seeing the AMOLED brightness, the UI responsiveness, the good-looking design and the maps being nice and kind of responsive, I was very positive about it despite not being the market I gravitate towards as I am more on the outdoor watch side of the spectrum. Then, all the bugs, annoyances and corrections needed started to pop out, and I left the video sad and disappointed. I am a Polar user, I have been using their watches and products for a couple of years now, and I am still buying that H10 I was planning on buying tomorrow, but offering a half-baked product for that much, it is something I would not buy, and I am even more concerned for the future of the brand and the Grit X family I tend to gravitate towards. I hope they can address these things in the near future with their limited resources, or this could become a nail in the coffin instead of the redemption they need.

Even as a Polar fan boy I can't pay 599 for this watch. Especially when there is Coros Pace 3, Suunto Race and Forerunner 955 - all being cheaper. It LOOKS amazing doh.

Does this watch have the walk detection during runs similar to the Garmin watches?

Thank you for your review. Why POLAR doesn't have the feature of controlling a bike smart trainer? Garmin has this feature!

Before the era of smartwatch , my first heart rate watch was polar. It was cool to use for training. It was kind of weird as they when under the radar for a few years without launching any specific product during the booming market of smart watches Polar was rather late to the party when introducing their heart rate bases smart watches . This could make polar struggle to survive as consumer don’t really fancy the brand .

Great video, thanks! Do you already have scratches on the glass after such a short time?

I 've been using polar since the 1980's They have not kept pace with the competition. Before the Vantage the last watch that was worth anything was the RCX5. I had 5 v800, which all became faulty within a year of receiving them , thanks to Polar they had honored the warranty each time. I have a V 1 Vantage with became fault the day the 3 version was released !!!!!! For the price point I will not be getting a V3 , they are not competitive with the others It seems to be a re-release of the V1 with a couple of polished turds included I run a fixed open track which is 1483 mm long , the V1 would give a result of a variation up to 100 per lap, while my garmin was within 5 m per lap, as it appears the V3 is equally as good as the V1 Polar has the advantage of seeing what the competition has released and they have dropped the ball

Waiting Polar Pacer Pro V2

Do any of the competitors use the ECG for pulse arrival time (PAT) measurements or orthostatic tests (like Polar does)? Also is there any equivalent to Leg Recovery Test in any other brand watch?

The problem with the suunto race at the moment is that it isnt support by stryd. Hopefully that will change soon. Till then its a nogo for me

The amoled gps watch race is getting tough

Good review. While I’m sure it wouldn’t affect the information in a general sense I do think you had a problematic model. It needs to be replaced. Unfortunately this can happen across the board. Interesting to see how it goes with functioning model and firmware updates.

I wish they'd make a V3 in a slightly smaller size for women. My Ignite 3 is a good fit but I really wanted all the upgrades on the V3.

As someone who has owned and used a Vantage, a V2 and now a V3, I disagree with your description of V3’s presentation of «traning load». At 11:52 you even go as far as to say that V3 does not display traning load - you say that it just displays the amount of training. I have not used Suunto or Garmin - and this probably colors my perception. But for me, when I compare the screens at 11:35, it is easy for me to tell what the V3 screen means - it gives me an screenshot of what the V3 thinks my traning status is - with a measure (a number) for my strain and another number for my tolerance. (And I am tempted to say that «tolerance» equals «training load».) I find the «message» from the training load screen of the V3, easy to act upon. Whereas when I look at the traning load screens of Garmin and Suunto, I find it much harder to understand what they mean and how I should (re)act upon/to them. I would also like to add a word about your review - or actually: lack of review - of V3’s EKG, because the V3’s EKG ability is very related to the training load and traning recovery features of the V3 (and in fact, to the entire Vantage series). Your review of the EKG feature primarily consentrate on the lack of medical grade EKG. Whereas you pay no attention to the very useful role that EKG sensor plays in the Recovery Pro feature of the V3. Because, the V3’s EKG feature really shines as part of the V3’s Recovery Pro feeature . Only Polar’s most advanced watches have Recovery Pro. With Vantage and V2, one had to use an external EKG-based heart rate sensor (such as H10), in order to take ortostatic test, which is the test that the Recovery Pro status is based on. Now, with the EKG built in, you can (also) use the built in EKG sensor - which is a great simplification. Recovery Pro is a great measure for how recovered you are today. In a summary, even if comparioson with other watches of course is due, I still find that you are comparing it **too much** with how other training watches work, and that are basing your review of the V3 too much on watches that you perhaps are more familiar with. A review that was more on the V3’s own terms, is what I would expect.

Great video! Question, anyone else having issues with the battery life lasting for less than a day? I have the following settings: - Continuous HR tracking: On - Display brightness: Medium - Display always on: Off - Phone notifications: Off - Positioning satellites : Power save Don't know what's happening. Maybe it's an issue since the latest firmware (1.1.9). First two days were going well, but now I see the battery going down everytime I look at it. Love the watch though, but this short battery life is insane.

Thanks, Ray! I guess this review says it all: Polar fell off the boat! 😂 Now I‘m really curious what you found out about the accuracy of the Suunto Race. Looking forward to your next I-D-R.

Cheers Ray! I'm gonna eat some pasta so I can run fasta ;-)

There’s no lag on touch screen like suunto race

Does it measure HRV?

Looks like as off today it does not compete with the FR965. I've been looking for the past 2 weeks to change my Polar M430 i've had for a long time and i was praying for the V3 but now i can't decide and leaning more towards the FR965 :(

Dude Polar has every data tool in this watch. Polar Elixir has many means of measuring data, it just about what Polar decides to do with it and bring extra features. The data is there, now its up to them to put it to good use with future features.

As a former Polar fan (starting with a heart rate chest strap in the 90s) it pains me how they can't get their act together.

Hey Ray! So your V3 crashed mid activity... This sounds terribly familiar. This is what my Grit X Pro has done the entire last year since June 2022 update! Question: does the V3 ALSO LOSE the complete recording at crash?? I left Polar for Suunto Race just 2 weeks ago but well.... Suunto is missing some familiar features. 😢 But please, could you confirm that Polar is still unable to persist data at crashes? Thanks!

Didn't get the Training Load missing, Polar literally has Training Load Pro?

Add please subtitle in video for strong men from Ukraine. I always see you content its very cool for me

BTW, is it made in Finland?

Someone who sometimes wears Decathlon tee shirts has a great fashion sense. Period.

I mean a fenix 7 / Epix is cheaper this month on Amazon so it is a bit of a hard sell…

Could you please tell me where polar watches are produced?

18:18 I can't watch a movie with sound now. After 12 hours of training, Polar lost 90% of its battery? Or 10%?

Polar ecosystem is just so much easier and cleaner to use

Polar vantage v3 or apple watch ultra 2? For strenght training, road runner and tennis player, look also at the price/quality

Still waiting for Polar Bear….. in white

Are those scratches on the screen?

6 hours of sleep is considered poor? dang

47 mm is so small

First!😊

It seems like everyone is adding ECG to their watches I'm not sure I understand the usefulness of this on a sports watch, especially for a relatively healthy athlete.

Pushing Optical HRM has killed Polars status as the most accurate HRM. Polar has lost its status as best swimming HRM too.

FTA

I think you need buy new microphone sir ,your voice like in the water 😅

Problem with Polar (as a company) is that you cannot trust them (rely on their support). Just 1y after I bought Vantage V they stopped updating it. This is unacceptable. Same I guess will happen now with Vantage V2 (became obsolete). Not worth money imho. Polar shame on you - you loose a lot of customer because of this.

dumpster fire...sad to see Polar fall like this..

Gave polar with Vantage V a shot. But polar is just the absolute trash company with their software rollouts. None of features of vantage V2,V3 are available in vantage V. Even basic soft updates. Fucking cash grabs

The forerunner 965 cost this much. There is absolutely no way I’m paying that much for something less capable than the forerunner.. I’ve been waiting patiently for something epic from polar 🫣